Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Whose Side Are You On?




The Supreme Court has heard all the arguments and will now be making a decision on the Defense of Marriage Act. A nation waits, holding it's breath. Convinced the decision will either uphold the foundation of beliefs this nation was founded on...or that they will continue to discriminate against a minority. There are very few "in betweens" when it comes to this issue. It seems instead, there are two polar opposites...either the majority of Christians or the loudest ones on one side screaming "homosexuality is an abomination" and "defend the Biblical definition of marriage" and those on the other side screaming "you believe in an imaginary God, therefore your argument is invalid"

Here is the reality of the situation, there needs to be...in fact, must be, reconciliation. And like it or not, Christians need to take the first steps toward middle ground. Does that mean you have to give up your beliefs? Absolutely not. What it does mean is you have to change how you go about sharing them with everyone else. It means that you have to understand that affirming someone's value and holding on to your faith are not mutually exclusive. It means that you have to put down your defenses, step down off your political soap box, and build relationships with people you don't agree with-like homosexuals. You'll be amazed at how it will change your life and your view point. I know I was.

Jesus told us that the world will know we are His disciples by the way we love. I have to tell you that I have a number of friends who are homosexual who have known no love from Christians. Statistics tell us that 47% of homeless youth are LGBT and the majority of them are homeless because they were rejected by their family after "coming out". (Side note: if 90% of runaways or homeless youth are trafficked within 72 hours...what's the outcome for this 47%?). And the sad truth is Christians have a history of this kind of behavior...from slavery to civil rights...our track record isn't great. We are known more for what we are against than what we are for...and more for our conservative political views than our love. Again, I am not saying change your beliefs. I am saying that we follow the Jesus who touched a leper, befriended a prostitute and helped a condemned adulteress out of the dirt. He did that before they changed their life style. Their life was changed by the way He treated them...as if they mattered, as if they had value, as if they were worth loving.

I'd remark on Jesus comment "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" but I think that would distract from the point.

Here's another thought...With studies showing there is a minimal difference between Christians and non  Christians when it comes to addiction to pornography, premarital sex, adultery and divorce perhaps our arguments for the biblical view of marriage are shaky. These statistics show that there are a lot of issues within the church and those sitting in it that we need to be addressing and walking along side those who need our help. It's time to stop our political posturing and help defend those marriages which are clearly under attack from the enemy, human frailty and a culture that constantly pushes wrongful views of sex into our faces.

If we are going to make same sex marriage illegal on the basis of marriage in the Bible...shouldn't adultery be illegal as well? That would cause some politicians to shake wouldn't it?

Everyone thought the Messiah would be a political leader, making war and restoring the glory of the Israelite nation. Instead He humbled himself, loved people, and changed the world. Maybe following His example would be a good idea. This post isn't supposed to be about my view of same sex marriage. I am not choosing sides for or against here. I am choosing to follow Jesus. To love everyone I come in contact with or at least try. I'm not here to judge but to model the behavior of one I call Savior. I might get it wrong. I'm an imperfect person loved and redeemed by a perfect God. And I'd rather get it wrong on the side of love than on the side of judgment. I hope I'm never the one on the corner praying "God, thank you that I am not the sinner this man is" but rather the one on my face crying out "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner"

I welcome your thoughts but please be respectful. Any hateful, rude or obnoxious comments will be deleted immediately.

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for posting this. It was very enlightening for me and helped me to see this whole issue from a different perspective. This was great.

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  2. Loved your post. I think as Christians, we should all be striving for this: "And I'd rather get it wrong on the side of love than on the side of judgment."
    I know I do.

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    1. Laura...that is awesome! Thanks for the encouragement!

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  3. "These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open ground of the public arena but the small clearing of each heart."

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  4. Jesus set the best example for us. He didn't condemn the adulterous woman, but he did tell her no longer sin. God is loving and justice. I don't think we are better than anyone, but we all need to dealt with our sins and repent.

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